Civil Protection Department

Volcanic Risk

In Italy volcanism owes its origin to a wide ranging geological process, involving the entire Mediterranean area and linked with the Euroasiatic and African tectonic plates converging together.

This process, begun 10 million years ago, at the same time as the mountain ranges of the Apennine chain were being built up, is due to the African plate sliding underneath the Euroasiatic one with subsequent formation of areas characterized by volcanism. It is in fact in these areas, inside the earth, where the conditions are created to form magmas and to propel them up towards the surface.

Even though less frequent and devastating than earthquakes, volcanic eruptions are still a great hazard for the densely populated zones in the Italian territory.

Vulcani in Italia

Italy, along with Iceland, has the highest number of active volcanoes in Europe and is one of first countries in the world for number of inhabitants exposed to volcanic risk.